In his fight for freedom, Michael Politte has been represented by the MacArthur Justice Center, the Midwest Innocence Project, and Langdon & Emison, after being sentenced to life in prison.
According to a longform interview conducted by St. Louis Public Radio, a growing body of evidence suggests not only that Politte, who was 14 at the time of his mother’s murder, didn’t commit the crime — but that in a rush to judgment, law enforcement officials overlooked other possible suspects and ignored substantial evidence pointing to Politte’s innocence.
According to the legal team’s argument, the state also relied on chemical analysis that was demonstrably false at the time of Politte’s trial. Their flawed analysis of his tennis shoes was the only physical evidence tying the teenager to the beating or the fire. You can hear the program in full by visiting the program at St. Louis Public Radio, and more background about the case and the firm’s role in his fight for justice can be found through the link below.